If you are reading this around the time it posts, it is likely New Year’s Eve. For many, this time of year brings a familiar pressure: the idea of New Year’s resolutions.

While there is nothing wrong with reflection or commitment, the commercialized version of resolutions often feels like a trap. We are sold the idea that we aren’t good enough as we are and that we must change something fundamental to be happier or better.

For years, I fell for this trap. I would spend weeks feeling bad about what I hadn’t done or how I needed to fix myself. I viewed my life through a lens of “it will be good when I do this thing” instead of appreciating what was already good.+2

This year, I invite you to try a different approach. Instead of rigid resolutions that often fade by the third week of January, let’s focus on finding the “wonder in the weeds” of our everyday lives.

The “More of This, Less of That” List

The inspiration for this shift comes from my friend Brittany Ross. She introduced me to a concept originally meant for finances, but it works beautifully for life planning: making a list of “More of This, Less of That”.

Instead of resolving to lose weight or buy a new planner to fix your life, sit down and reflect on your year. Ask yourself two questions:

• What did I feel great about? Identify the moments where you felt loved, warm, peaceful, or motivated.
• What do I want to release? Identify the feelings of negativity or overwhelm that you want less of.

We cannot control everything that happens to us, like ice storms or difficult news. However, we can control how we react and what we intentionally seek out.

Tune Into Your Body

When you identify what you want “more of,” try to connect that desire to a physical sensation. We often use words like “motivated” or “confident” without knowing what they actually feel like in our bodies.+2

For me, joy and love are feelings I experience physically in my chest. When I am stressed, I feel crunched over; when I am happy, I feel an expansion and warmth. Your experience might be different. You might feel energy in your toes or a buzz in your hands.

By recognizing these physical cues, you can better identify when you are on the right track and what you want to invite more of into your life.

Prioritizing Connection Over Perfection

One major realization I had this year involved friendship. After moving to a new community, I felt pressure to recreate the deep, decades-long friendships I had back home. But I realized that trying to force that depth with new people was leading to frustration.

For 2026, my “more of this” is simple: I want more of the feeling I get when I am with my oldest friends. Even if we only have 24 hours in a hotel room off a highway to giggle and eat pizza, that connection nourishes me.

So, I am shifting my focus. I want more of that deep connection and less of the stress of trying to manufacture it where it doesn’t yet exist.

Join the Women of Wonder

We all need a space where we can be ourselves, laugh, and find support without judgment. If you are looking for a community that prioritizes laughter, love, and light over algorithms and bad news, I would love for you to join us.

The Women of Wonder community is about women coming together to support one another, celebrate our wins, and lift each other up.

Ready to find your wonder? Join us here: https://wonder.myflodesk.com/womenofwonder